Springboard construction



July 14, 1953.

S. R. SMITH SPRINGBOARD CONSTRUCTION Filed March 10, 1952 SAMUEL R.SMITH ATTORNEYS Patented July i4,

UNFreoA` STATES PATENT OFFICE SPRINGBOARD CONSTRUCTION Samuel Roy Smith,Portland,- Oreg.

Application March. 1.o, 1952, seriaiNo. 275,815.

7 Claims. (C1. 272-666) The present invention relates to a springboardconstruction, having particular reference to supporting means for aspringboard.' The invention is herein illustrated as comprising a divingboard', but it is to be appreciated that the invention may equally wellcomprise any type of springboard' for any purpose.

The principalobject of the present invention is to provide a springboardsupport comprising, a frame consisting of a compound spring. Thepurposes of the invention are to provide means whereby greater loft maybe 'achieved by the person using the springboard, andv to safeguard. thespringboard and the athlete by eliminating the shock effect of using thespringboard and' thus decreasing the possibility that the spring.-

board may break. l c

A further object of the present invention is. to provide a springboardsupport. of simple, sturdy construction which may be formed. of readilyavailable, easily shaped and. assembledmaterials, and which may beshipped in disassembled or. partially disassembledform, therebydecreasing the ultimate cost by reducing shipping charges.

A further `object of the present invention is to provide a springboard.support of 4the foregoing character which comprises a fulcrumbaradjust-- able in the longitudinal' direction. of the spring# board,thereby accommodating the tastesof in'- dividual performers orpermitting. personsv of.

various weights to achieve the. same 'feats by use.

of the one springboardv A. further. object of the present invention isto. provide a springboard supportv of. the foregoing character, thefulcrum point of which may be adjusted without altering. the. angle ofinclination of the springboard. l 1 y The objects and advantages ofk thepresentv invention may be more readily understood by ref.-

erence` to the accompanying `drawings. wherein.

like numerals refer. to like parts throughout, and. in which a preferredform of the invention. is i1- lustrated.

In. the drawings, A

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1.;

Fig. 3 is an end view looking from the planeof the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;and' Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially along the plane ofthe line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, there is illustrated a tapered springboard l which maybe of any suitable or desired construction. The springboard is`supported by a supporting structure'including a pair of side. frames Ilmaintained in upright, parallel, spaced relation to each other. Each ofthe side frames comprises a plurality of`spring bar members, ordinarilyconsisting ofr bar stock approxi.- mately three inches by three-eighthsof an inch, which may be tempered to preserve the spring action of thebars. The spring bars comprise a rst spring, `bar includinga vertical,rear* leg *portion i2, an intermediate, elongated, substantiallyhorizontal'. portion I3" and a` forwardly bowed,` dependent.- frontportion t4 terminating in a ground-engaging foot |5'which isretained asby means ofl a bolt |'6` buried in the concrete surroundingp a.swimming. pool and a cooperating nut II. The rear legv I2 alsoterminates in a ground-engaging foot. i8. which is retained by a bolt..|.9 and nut. 20.. n second spring bar 2l. is connected. to the irstspring bar, the second spring bar. comprising a straightbar extendingvdiagonally upward. from. the foot i5. to an upper part of the rear legportion |.2-f, being connected at itsY ends. to the, first spring` barby the bolt i5 and nut I1', and being connected to the rear leg. portionby a bolt 22.and nut 23; A tie member 44, preferably comprising ay barsimilar to the other bars, is` provided with laterally bent ends whichare connected to intermediate points o1" the horizontal portion I3 by abolt 2li and nut 25 and of. the second' bar by means of a bolt 26 and.nut 2l.` While the-intermediateportion I3 The. side frames. are`maintained in upright,

parallel, spaced, apart relation to each other by suitable cross-brace.means. In the preferred embodiment the, crossfbrace means comprises apair. of diagonally disposed, bars 3 I' suitably connected to the upperand'. lower extremities of the front legs 29, and a pair of'horizontallydisposed angle bars 32v suitably connected to vertically spaced portionsof` the rear leg'. portions. I2 and providing supports to which treads33. may be suitably attached'.

The springboard IU is supported by means comprising a fulcrum bar 34'andan anchor bar 35`. The anchor bar is preferably a ii'at bar spanningthe. space` between the rear ends of the horizontal portionsi3 andhaving its ends connected thereto by suitable means` such asV bolts 3'6"and nuts-.371. The intermediate portion of thev anchor bar is.preferablyv skewed slightly with respect to its. ends, so that theends'. may' be bolted flatly to the under surface of the spring barportions I3 while, its intermediate portion may lie flush against the.upper surface of an. inclined springboard llll The rear.v end ofY thespringboard I0 is connected to and' lies' underneath, the

intermediate. portion of the anchor bar, being retained in such positionby a pair of bolts 38 and. nuts 39... The springboard is ofv suc-h widthas tant between the side frameV with some clearance at veach sideallowing for a slight lateral movement thereof, but the arrangement issuch that the springboard remains generally parallel to and between theside frames.

The fulcrum bar 34 preferably comprises a channel bar, the ends of theflanges of which are removed so as to permit the ends of its web portionto overlie the portions 28 of the first spring bars. An elongated p-ad40 of rubber or equivalent resilientl material is preferably suitablyafixed to the upper surface of the fulcrum bar, the pad preferably beingas wide as the fulcrum bar and approximately one-half to threequartersof an inch thick and being of sufficient hardness to retain its shape inspite of successive compressions under shock conditions. An intermediateportion of the springboard rests loosely upon the fulcrum bar, thisconstruction permitting the board to spring clear of the fulcrum barwhen released rfrom the athletes Weight. Means are provided to retainthe fulcrum bar in longitudinally adjusted position whereby to changethe leverage of the springboard to suit individual tastes or weights.Such means may comprise a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 4lin each of the portions 28 into which the bolts 42 retaining the fulcrumbar may be thrust, the fulcrum bar being retained in position by nuts 43cooperating with the bolts 42. A plurality of the openings 4| arepositioned ahead of the front legs 29 and a plurality thereof arepositioned behind the front legs 29.

When the fulcrum bar 34 is positioned ahead of the rigid front legs 29as illustrated, depression of the front end of the springboard resultsin Aforward bowing of the portions I4, upward bowing of the portions I3together with the bars 2|, and forward bowing of the rear leg portionsI2. When the fulcrum bar 34 is positioned rearwardly of the front legs29 the bowing of each portion of the side frames is reversed, but thesame compound spring effect is realired.` Not only is greater loftingaction achieved thereby, but the shock to the board is materiallylessened and the danger of breakage reduced.

Having illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the samepermits of modification in arrangement and detail. I claim as myinvention all such modifications as come wtihin the true spirit andscope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A springboard support comprising a pair of upright side framesmaintained in parallel, spaced relation to each other, cross-brace meansat the front and rear ends of said side frames, said means beingconnected to said frames to maintain said frames in upright, parallelrelation to each other in sufficiently spaced relation to permit theinterposition of a springboard between the upper portions thereof, eachof said frames comprising a first spring bar including a rear legportion, an intermediate, elongated, substantially horizontal portion,and a forwardly bowed, dependent front portion, a second spring barconnected to a lower part of said front portion and to an upper part ofsaid leg portion at its respective ends, a tie member connected to anintermediate part of said` horizontal portion and to an intermediatepart of said second spring bar at its respective ends, anda rigid frontleg vertically spanning said bowed portion, an anchor bar spanning thespace between the rear ends of said horizontal portions and connected tosaid horizontal portions at its respective ends', means to connect therear end of a springboard at said anchor bar, and a fulcrum bar spanningthe space between the front ends of said horizontal portions andconnected to said horizontal portions at its respective ends.

2. The construction of claim 1, in combination with a springboard havingits rear end attached to and beneath said anchor bar and an intermediatepart thereof loosely resting upon said fulcrum bar.

3. The construction of claim 1, in which said intermediate portion ofeach of said first spring bars includes a rearwardly sloping forwardpart inclined at an angle approximating the angle of repose of aspringboard having its rear end attached to and beneath said anchor barand an intermediate part resting on said fulcrum bar.

4. The construction of claim l, in combination with means to retain saidfulcrum bar at any one of a plurality of selected positionslongitudinally of said side frames.

5. The construction of claim 1, in which said intermediate portion ofeach of said first spring bars includes a rearwardly sloping forwardpart inclined at an angle approximating the angle of repose yof aspringboard having its rear end attached .to and beneath said anchor barand an intermediate part resting on said fulcrum bar, said slopingpartextending in opposite directions from the upper end of said front legand having a plurality of openings therein for reception of fulcrum barretaining means.

6. The combination with a springboard of a supporting structurecomprising a pair of side frames, an anchor bar connected at its ends tolaterally opposed portions of the rear upper ends of said side frames,the rear end of said springboard being attached to said anchor bar, anda fulcrum bar connected at its ends to laterally opposed portions of thefront upper ends of said side frames, an intermediate portion of saidspringboard resting loosely on said fulcrum bar, and said side frameseach comprising a pair of longitudinally extending spring bars disposedone above the other in spaced relation and means interconnecting saidspring bars.

'7. The combination with a springboard of a supporting structurecomprising a pair of side frames, said side frames each comprising apair of longitudinally extending spring bars capable of flexingvertically, said bars being disposed one above the other in spacedrelation, and a plurality of means interconnecting said bars atavplurality'of longitudinally spaced points, and means transverselyinterconnecting said frames comprising a forward means interconnectingforward portions of the upper bars of each pair and a rearward meansinterconnecting rearward portions of the upper bars of each pair, saidspringboard being attached to said rearward means and resting upon saidforward means.

SAMUEL ROY SMITH.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 436,462 Reach Sept. 16, 1890 774,017 Wulff Nov. 1, 19042,024,028 Dahlberg Dec. l0, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date183,388 Germany Mar. 16, 1907

